Slí Cholmcille - Sli Dhun na nGall
Long Distance Waymarked Way · Donegal
Slí Cholmcille - Sli Dhun na nGall is a 65.3 km strenuous waymarked loop in Donegal, starting near Ardara.
Grade
| Activity | Grade | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Strenuous | Challenging | – |
Getting there
Starts at Ardara.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 54.76438, -8.41017
- Irish Grid reference
- G 736 908
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheet 10
The National Trails Register's own latitude and longitude fields are empty for all 1,186 trails on it. This trailhead comes from Sport Ireland's separate Trailheads dataset, matched to this trail on its register ID.
About the trail
Slí Cholmcille is a section of the 280km Slí Dhún na nGall that circles around the remote landscapes of south west Donegal. The name of the route is derived from that of St Colmcille, one of Ireland's early Christian saints, who was born in County Donegal and lived for a while in this region. He is recalled in the name of Glencolmcille, Donegal's westerlymost village, a place steeped in pre-Christian and early Christian history. The Slí Cholmcille is an 65 km route that connects the main towns and villages of the area, passing through spectacular unspoilt coastal and mountain landscape, including the lonely valley reaching down to the inlet of Port, and the dramatic valley of Glengesh. Although sparsely inhabited today, this area of Donegal was clearly well-populated in former times: the Glencolmcille area in particular is rich in prehistoric and early Christian monuments. The terrain consists mainly of tarmac roads, bog roads, and open moorland. Considerable stretches of the tarmac sections, although through wonderful landscape, are on busy, narrow roads, where care needs to be taken. Open moorland sections, which are quite isolated, can be very wet. The total aggregate ascent over the entire route is 1,600 metres. Overnight accommodation can found at Glencolmcille, Kilcar, Carrick and Ardara.
- Waymarking
- Yellow arrow on black background
- Dogs
- No
Who manages it
Donegal County Council/Udaras na Gaeltachta
Donegal County Council/Udaras na Gaeltachta
Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.
Trails nearby
Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.
- Bonny Glen Wood - Bonny Glen walk 7.5 km away · 0.9 km trail
- Bonny Glen Wood - Lough Namanlagh trail 7.5 km away · 1.5 km trail
- Mill River Walk 18 km away · 0.8 km trail
- Slí Na Rosann - Sli Dhun na nGall 21 km away · 64.6 km trail
- Sliabh Liag Pilgrim Path 21 km away · 3.2 km trail
- Dungloe River Walk incorporating Cope Mountain Walk 21 km away · 3.6 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Slí Cholmcille - Sli Dhun na nGall?
65.3 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register.
How hard is the Slí Cholmcille - Sli Dhun na nGall?
Sport Ireland grades it Strenuous, with an overall difficulty of Challenging. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.
Where does the Slí Cholmcille - Sli Dhun na nGall start?
Starts at Ardara. The trailhead is at 54.76438, -8.41017 (Irish Grid G 736 908).
Can you bring a dog on the Slí Cholmcille - Sli Dhun na nGall?
No. The register records dogs as not allowed on this trail.
Who manages the Slí Cholmcille - Sli Dhun na nGall?
Donegal County Council/Udaras na Gaeltachta. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.
More in Donegal
Trail data from the Sport Ireland National Trails Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Trailhead coordinates from the companion Trailheads dataset. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13.